CHAPTER X
THE GOOD SHIP EXCHANGE OF BRISTOL
A satirical English gentleman who lived in the
reign of Charles II. and described himself as formerly
"a servant in England's Navie," published a pamphlet
in 1648 in which he complained bitterly of the
inability of "the present Government," even in spite of the
expense of vast quantities of money, "to clear England's
seas of Ireland's Pyrates." The latter belonged at this time
especially to Waterford and Wexford. A large amount of
money, he bewailed, had been and was still being spent "to
reduce half a dozen inconsiderable Pyrates," but yet the
"pyrates are not reduced, neither are the seas guarded."
One of these "pyrates" had in February 1647 in one day
taken three small ships and one pinnace of a total value of
£9000. One of these ships, whilst defending herself, had
lost her master and one of her mates, as well as five mariners,
besides other members of her crew wounded. And this
author of A Cordiall for the Calenture asks if the present
Government, with such an expenditure, cannot reduce half
a dozen pirates, "how will England's Commonwealth be
wasted if the French, the Danes, the Dutch, or all of them
shall infest England's Seas."
Well, we know now that in time England's navy did actually defeat each of these—the Dutch, French and
